Not Safe For Solar Don't let an HOA block your sun

Terms & Privacy

The Short Version

We're a free, community-powered resource for North Carolina homeowners and solar installers. We don't sell your data. We don't sell anyone's data. The only thing we do with submissions is build a database of solar-friendly and not-so-solar-friendly neighborhoods so the next homeowner doesn't get blindsided.

All we ask is that you keep it honest — if you submit something, make sure it's accurate. Bad data helps no one.

That's it. The rest of this page is the legal version of what you just read.

Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Not Safe For Solar ("the Site"), you agree to be bound by these terms. If you do not agree, do not use the Site.

What This Site Is

Not Safe For Solar is a crowdsourced database of HOA solar installation policies in North Carolina. The information on this Site is provided for general informational purposes only. This Site does not provide legal advice. Nothing on this Site should be construed as legal counsel. If you are in a dispute with your HOA, consult a licensed attorney familiar with North Carolina real property and solar access law.

User-Submitted Content

All submissions to the database are voluntary. By submitting content, you:

  • Grant Not Safe For Solar a perpetual, royalty-free, non-exclusive license to use, display, and distribute your submission as part of the database
  • Represent that your submission is truthful and based on your genuine experience or knowledge
  • Understand that your submission may be edited for clarity, verified against public records, or rejected at our discretion
  • Acknowledge that submissions are intended to be anonymous — do not include personally identifying information about yourself or others in free-text fields

You retain any rights you have in the content you submit, but you grant us the right to use it as described above.

Accuracy and Completeness

The data on this Site is crowdsourced and may be incomplete, outdated, or inaccurate. HOA policies change. Board members change. Covenants get amended. We make no guarantees about the accuracy, completeness, or currentness of any information on this Site.

We make reasonable efforts to verify submissions against public records and other sources, but we cannot guarantee that every entry has been verified. Always confirm HOA policies directly before making purchasing or installation decisions.

Prohibited Use

You agree not to:

  • Submit false, misleading, or fabricated information
  • Submit content that is defamatory, harassing, or violates the rights of others
  • Use automated tools to scrape, harvest, or bulk-download data from the Site
  • Attempt to interfere with the Site's operation or security
  • Use the Site for any commercial purpose without prior written consent

Intellectual Property

Individual submissions remain the property of their submitters. The compiled database — including its structure, organization, verification status, severity ratings, and editorial content — is the property of Not Safe For Solar.

The legal information, resource guides, and template letters on this Site are original works provided for personal, non-commercial use. You may share and reference them with attribution.

Limitation of Liability

Not Safe For Solar, its operators, and contributors are not liable for any damages arising from your use of the Site or reliance on its content. This includes, without limitation, damages from:

  • Decisions to buy or not buy property based on information found here
  • Decisions to install or not install solar panels based on information found here
  • Disputes with HOAs, property managers, or other parties
  • Inaccurate, incomplete, or outdated information in the database

Use this Site as a starting point for your own research, not as a substitute for professional advice.

Privacy Policy

Information We Collect

Submissions

All HOA policy submissions are anonymous by default. We do not require personal information to submit a report. If you voluntarily provide an email address, it is stored securely and used only to follow up on your submission if needed. We never publicly associate submissions with personal identities.

Documents

Uploaded documents (CC&Rs, denial letters, correspondence) are:

  • Scanned for malware before processing
  • Stored securely and never publicly released in their original form
  • Processed by our AI system to extract relevant HOA policy information
  • Retained to improve the accuracy of our database

If you submitted a document and want it removed, contact us at admin@notsafeforsolar.com.

Analytics

We use Umami, a privacy-focused analytics platform. Umami:

  • Does not use cookies
  • Does not collect personal data or IP addresses
  • Does not track users across websites
  • Does not sell or share data with third parties
  • Is fully compliant with GDPR, CCPA, and PECR

We collect only aggregate, anonymized usage data (page views, referrers, device types) to understand how the site is used and improve it.

Server Logs

Our web server may temporarily log IP addresses and request metadata for security and operational purposes. These logs are rotated regularly and not used for tracking or analytics.

How We Use Information

We use the information we collect to:

  • Maintain and improve our HOA solar policy database
  • Process and verify community submissions
  • Analyze documents for relevant policy information
  • Monitor site performance and security
  • Respond to inquiries

Information Sharing

We do not sell, trade, or rent personal information to third parties.

We may share anonymized, aggregated data (e.g., statistics about HOA solar policies in North Carolina) for research or public interest purposes.

We may disclose information if required by law or in response to valid legal process.

Data Security

We implement reasonable security measures to protect submitted information, including:

  • Malware scanning of all uploaded files
  • Encrypted connections (HTTPS) for all site traffic
  • Secure document storage with access controls
  • Regular security reviews

Your Data Rights

You may:

  • Request deletion of any documents or submissions you have made by contacting admin@notsafeforsolar.com with your submission ID
  • Opt out of analytics — Umami respects browser Do Not Track settings

Children's Privacy

Our site is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children.

Changes

We may update these terms and this privacy policy at any time. Changes take effect when posted. Continued use of the Site after changes are posted constitutes acceptance.

Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of North Carolina, without regard to conflict of law principles.

Contact

If you have questions, reach out via the contact information on our About page.

Last updated: March 2026